A discussion over dinner with a friend the other night led me to pick up Little Women - a book I had thought I had read before but I think I have actually only ever seen movie versions of the novel. A recent version with Christian Bale playing Laurie is a firm favourite!
I have a gorgeous old copy of the book which belonged to my mother - with a delightfully kitsch cover reminiscent of the 1960's I feel. I can't actually find a publication date anywhere on the book but that would be my guess.
The story, as I'm sure most of you know, is about 4 young girls - Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy and their trials and tribulations growing up in the Boston area during the American Civil War in which their father is involved in as a Chaplain for the Union Army.
The character of Jo is an autobiographical portrait - and to me the most engaging character in the book - feisty, fun and full of life.
As I was coming to the end of the book I realised that some of the significant events that I knew to be a part of the story where not going to happen - no marriages or deaths to be seen. When I looked up the novel through Wikipedia I read that the book was actually originally published in 2 parts - the second part coming along after publishers realised that the first was so popular - and the copy I was reading only consisted of the original first part of the novel.
Feeling very cheated I will have to go looking for the second part - or simply watch the movie again!
I have a gorgeous old copy of the book which belonged to my mother - with a delightfully kitsch cover reminiscent of the 1960's I feel. I can't actually find a publication date anywhere on the book but that would be my guess.
The story, as I'm sure most of you know, is about 4 young girls - Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy and their trials and tribulations growing up in the Boston area during the American Civil War in which their father is involved in as a Chaplain for the Union Army.
The character of Jo is an autobiographical portrait - and to me the most engaging character in the book - feisty, fun and full of life.
As I was coming to the end of the book I realised that some of the significant events that I knew to be a part of the story where not going to happen - no marriages or deaths to be seen. When I looked up the novel through Wikipedia I read that the book was actually originally published in 2 parts - the second part coming along after publishers realised that the first was so popular - and the copy I was reading only consisted of the original first part of the novel.
Feeling very cheated I will have to go looking for the second part - or simply watch the movie again!
